TRUCKEE, Calif. — After a break in wintry weather that pounded the Tahoe-Truckee region with more than 20 feet of snow in January, a new system could bring an additional 2 to 3 feet at upper elevations by the weekend — and also, for lower levels, the potential for rain.

According to the National Weather Service in Reno, after a mild start to the week, weather patterns will change on Thursday as a Pacific storm moves into the region.

"Forecaster confidence is high that we will see a weak to moderate atmospheric river storm Thursday and Friday, with generally high snow levels and moderate to heavy precipitation amounts, especially in the Sierra," according to a long-term forecast discussion for the Tahoe-Truckee region.

According to the discussion, the forecast lines up for a modest atmospheric river, "meaning this storm won`t be as strong as the storms we saw earlier in January, but it still looks to have the potential to be a weak to moderate storm for the region."